


Joie de vivre

by Sour_Apples01



Category: N/A - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Awkward Conversations, Bingo, Break Up, Coffee, Coffee Shops, College, Engineering, Eventual Happy Ending, Family Drama, Give me ideas please, Literature, Male-Female Friendship, Not Beta Read, Please share, Polar Opposites, Poor Life Choices, Post-Break Up, Slow Build, Smoking, Underage Drinking, University, be nice, brief mention of being drugged, it doesn't happen just a psa, please comment, please kudos
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:01:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26188396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sour_Apples01/pseuds/Sour_Apples01
Summary: Frankie Vinton is an indepentant, personable woman studying Mechanical Engineering. Kennedy Cohen is a antisocial, aloof man studying Literature at the same university as Frankie. Two different people, with different lives, personalities and majors, but something about them is the same. Will their paths cross and will it be what they both need in life? Or will it end in disaster?AlternativelyKennedy Cohen is an antisocial guy with a Lousiana accent who refuses to admit that he has been flustered and simping over Frankie, a very indepentant person who wants nothing but to get her damn caffeine fix for the day.I would greatly appreciate it if you kudos, share and comment





	1. The Chimes

**Author's Note:**

> “Oh, let us love our occupations,  
> Bless the squire and his relations,  
> Live upon our daily rations,  
> And always know our proper stations.”  
> ― Charles Dickens, The Chimes

Kennedy Cohen, a sophomore at the local university, majoring in literature. He loved where he went to school, it was an 'amazing' school with 'amazing' 'incredibly nice' students and staff. All that was bullshit, if he was being completely honest, but it wasn't all that bad. He got to work at the coffee shop that was on campus, he got a discount on coffee and pastries as well as get to work with some of his closest friends every day. It was decent money, enough to pay for the things he needed. 

Kennedy stood behind the counter, resting his chin on the palm of his hand, staring out the windows in the front of the shop. It was snowing pretty hard outside, students and staff bundled up in thick jackets and hats. It was almost comical at how many of those students were attempting to study while trudging through the snow that was collecting on the sidewalk. The cafe had some students lingering around, attempting to stay warm. Luckily he recognized a few faces, even more so that he semi liked them. His thoughts were interrupted by a wet rag slapping the back of his thigh, the pain and loud crack of the rag made him whip around to call out the culprit. He was about to say something, but when he realized who it was, he closed his mouth slowly. The culprit was his coworker Jackson, who so happened to be one of his closest friends. So instead of calling him out verbally, Kennedy settled for a roll of his eyes and a quiet huff. Jackson stood Kennedy's right, looking out the window, just like how his friend was doing.  
"You're too stiff, you know that right?"  
Kennedy looked over and nodded. "Yup."  
"So strict, so boring, you don't have fun ever." Jackson whined dramatically  
"I know, I know, no one likes me and that's why you're still my friend." Kennedy tried to match Jackson's whiny tone, but also added some sarcasm to add some spice to it. Jackson laughed and gave a light punch to Kennedy's shoulder. Jackson was the same age as Kennedy, but older by only a few months. Jackson looked at the clock next to the register, seeing that it was only 2 pm, he let out a dramatic sigh as he rested the back of his hand against his forehead. Drama was Jackson's specialty. Kennedy's brows furrowed, wondering how the hell that he put up with his friends constant drama for the past few years. "Drama queen, I don't know how your significant other puts up with you." Jackson went stiff, hands at his side before he snapped back with no real anger. "At least I have a significant other, unlike you, Mr. Louisiana Loner." Kennedy couldn't help but let the tiniest of smiles form on his face. "That is true though." Logically, Kennedy knew why Jackson had a significant other, he was the total package. Jackson was outgoing, personable, naturally funny and could actually convey his emotions. Suddenly it got cold, the ding of the door hitting the bell above it, caught both of the baristas attention. They both shifted their gaze to the door, watching the door slowly swing shut, the warmth of the room rising again. The person who walked in was a young woman, her dark hair and lashes were speckled white with the snow that was steadily falling outside. She stomped her boots on the doormat, getting the snow off her boots before walking up to the front counter, but stood off to the side, trying to decide what she wanted. He couldn't tell if she went to the same university as Jackson and himself or not, but he didn't care enough to ask. Kennedy did see that she had a backpack on over her coat, it looked heavy and full, but not that he cared. Jackson went around his coworker, closer to the woman. "How are you doing today? Do you have any questions about the menu?"  
The girl looked at Jackson, gave a gentle smile "I'm doing great, you? And no questions, but I do know what I want."  
Jackson quickly glanced over at Kennedy. "I'm doing fantastic, thank you for asking and what can I get started for you?"  
The girl put her hand into her pocket, tugging out her wallet. "I'll take a large, hot Earl gray tea with no sugar and no milk or cream, please."  
"What's a good name for the drink?"  
"Oh, um, Frankie."  
"That's a lovely name and it will be 4 dollars even for you today."  
"Thank you." Frankie handed over 4 for her drink and put 3 dollars into the tip jar.  
"It will be right out and we will bring it to you." Jackson gave a smile and started on her drink.  
Frankie looked around and saw a booth in the far corner, briskly walking to it and claiming it as her spot for the time being. She took off her coat and her backpack, putting the coat on the spot next to her and the backpack on the table. Frankie hummed quietly as she pulled out her work for the day that she needed to get finished before the next day. Kennedy watched Frankie, thinking that she had an interesting name. Jackson nudged Kennedy with his elbow. "Stop being creepy, you're staring, man." Kennedy looked away and cleared his throat softly. "No I wasn't, I was merely making sure she was comfortable at her table of choice and where I would have to take her drink when it was done…-" Kennedy reached out for the currently empty cup Jackson was holding as he went on to mumble. "-staring my ass, I don't stare." Jackson pulled his hand closer to his chest. "Dude, the cup is empty and I havent even started on her drink."  
Kennedy's ears went red and he brushed past Jackson and grabbed a rag before making his way to an empty table and wiped it down. Jackson stifled a laugh, knowing that Kennedy knew that, the table was already clean.


	2. Great Expectations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Life is made of so many partings welded together.”  
> -Charles Dickens (Great Expecations)

A few weeks had passed since Frankie last appeared at the coffee shop, honestly, Kennedy didn't even notice that she hadn't shown up in a while. He saw so many faces every day at work and at school, so one girl wouldn't normally stand out to him. The weather was still frigid and snowy, but sometimes the sun would peak out from behind the gloomy clouds and make the snow shimmer and glisten. The shimmer of the blinding white snow made it extremely tempting to step outside and hear that satisfying crunch under his boot. Honestly, he didn't like the snow, it was too cold and wet. He didn't really have snow growing up down in Louisiana, he had seen it a few times on vacations seeing his family up North, but that was it. He knew that there would be snow in the place he went to college, but he didn't really think much of it, just wanting to get away from his overbearing parents and older siblings. He also knew that they just wanted the best for him, even though they were outwardly disappointed with his chosen major. The shop was relatively empty and quiet, except for the soft lo-fi music that played over the system, but by now it was just white noise. Kennedy let out gentle huff and did a slow 360 turn, trying to think of something to do while he was stuck there for another three hours. Unfortunately, he wasn't working with any of his friends today, just with some teenager who went to the highschool about 20 minutes away from the college. Brianna was nice, but she hasn't really opened up to him yet. Often enough, Kennedy was told he had RBF, he would always disagree and say that he was very inviting. That obviously wasn't true and everyone knew it, Kennedy was relatively antisocial, not liking people that much which was ironic since he worked in a cafe, but that's besides the point. Kennedy tuned into the soft music and hummed along, deciding that now would be the best time to make himself a drink. He did just that after checking to see if any customers needed any refills or had any questions. He got himself a mug and made himself some extra sweet hot chocolate, he personally never enjoyed the taste of coffee. Kennedy put a dollop of whipped cream on top and it gave him a little burst of happiness that was much needed. He sipped on it throughout his shift, making small talk with his coworker who was taking most of the orders that day while he made the drinks. The bell above the door rang announcing the arrival of a much, much needed customer. Kennedy minded his business, giving the equipment a quick wipedown as Brianna greeted the customer. Brianna was a pretty 16 year old who got along with almost every customer that she encountered and this one was no different. When he heard the customers soft voice, he curiously turned around to see what they looked like. It was a young woman, her dark hair pulled back into a bun that looked like it was once neat, but it was now messy. She looked familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it, so he assumed she was a customer or she was in one of his classes. It wasn't until he heard her name. 'Frankie'. It was her, the girl who came in weeks ago that he was supposedly 'staring at'. She had that backpack again, so clearly she must've come from class or something like that. Frankie must've felt him looking at her, because she looked away from Brianna who was making small talk with, and shifted her gaze to Kennedy. She made eye contact for a second before looking back to Brianna, her tan cheeks flushed pink. It was only a minute longer before Frankie paid for her drink and walked to the same table that she sat at the last time she was there. Brianna waved an empty mug in front of his face, to get his attention. Kennedy looked at Brianna and muttered a thank you as he took the cup and waited for Brianna to tell him what she ordered.  
"What did she order?"  
"A black coffee, no sugar, no cream, no nothing. She's pretty isn't she?"  
Kennedy nodded and began to pour the coffee into the mug.   
"She's studying mechanical engineering apparently, at the same school as you."  
Kennedy stopped pouring the coffee and turned his entire body to face Brianna.   
"Seriously?"   
Brianna smiled and nodded "Yep! She's actually really nice, you should go talk to her."  
He shook his head as he turned back to the mug and finished pouring the coffee. "No, she's a customer and it will be creepy if I do."   
Brianna groaned and rolled her eyes. "I'm trying to hook you up with a smart young woman, even though I know absolutely nothing about her."  
Kennedy let out a sigh. "Brianna, please let it go, if she wants to talk to me then she will. I'm not about to go introduce myself to some rando." He left Brianna behind the counter to go give Frankie her drink. He walked around the counter and to the other side of the shop, as he approached her, he realized that she had her work out. She had a notebook out as well as a sketch book out, it was about 10" x 8" and the page it was opened to was filled with diagrams, models and equations to go along with the models and diagrams. Her handwriting was small and in messy cursive. Her notebook was full of notes like definitions and equation shortcuts. Her head was down, staring down at the notebooks, writing quickly and not noticing Kennedy's presence.   
He cleared his throat softly to get her attention.  
Frankie looked up and smiled. "Oh thank you, sorry I didn't see you."  
Kennedy looked down at the table, wondering where to put it, but he put it on a space that wasn't occupied by her work. "It's okay, you were busy."  
"Well, thank you..-" She looked at his name tag, that had his name in block letters. "-....Kennedy. Is that your actual name?"  
"It is, girly isn't it?" Kennedy always hated his name, but never thought about changing it.  
"My name is Frankie, so I feel your pain, but I like it." Frankie kept that warm smile on her face.  
"I, uh, I'll leave you to do your thing." Kennedy gave a slight smile and briskly walked back behind the counter, feeling Frankie's stare on his back. It felt like his back was on fire, he couldn't tell if he wanted her to look away or keep her sight on him. Brianna stifled a laugh at Kennedy's first direct encounter with Frankie and at how awkward he was with her. Luckily, his shift was now ending.


	3. El muchacho de los ojos tristes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is sadness in his eyes  
> while speaking, while silent, and while dancing with me  
> A faraway sadness  
> that reaches my soul and becomes affection.  
> (Jeanette — El Muchacho de los Ojos Tristes)

Frankie trudged through the snow, feeling the crunch of the snow and ice under her boots. She pulled her coat around her body tighter, trying to warm herself up more. Even being from the northern states, she still couldn't get used to the snow and the cold weather, if anything, she preferred spring. Her backpack weighed heavy on her shoulders, her school work and some of her little trinkets she likes to mess with were definitely heavier than she wanted them to be. She did plan to stop by the coffee shop today, but she was there yesterday and she figured she should try to cut back on the coffee. She walked right past it, giving the most likely warm shop a longing glare. Frankie hummed to herself as she walked off campus, she was a little bummed out today, but she figured it was due to the gloomy weather. Lucky for her, she lived off of campus and in a studio apartment that was less than a mile away from campus. Also lucky that plenty of college students lived in that same building, so she knew quite a few of the residents. Soft puffs of air passed her parted lips, the warm air turning into little clouds, giving her some entertainment as she walked. Her toes were cold and her face was pink from the sting of the cold air, but she honestly didn't mind it too much. She actually liked the snow and winter overall, the freezing temperatures, the varying shades of gray and blues, the sound of snow storms and the snow crunching under her feet. It was calming to her, reminded her of her childhood if anything. She walked over the overpass that separated her apartment building and the college campus, when she reached the top, she slowed to a stop. She leaned against the railing, watching the cars drive under and past her, brisk gusts of air were thrown her way by the passing cars. Something about the snow and sleet being tossed up by the cars made her relax, the cold metal of the railing was grounding her, almost as if it was bringing her back to reality to know that everything was going to be okay. She knew she was blessed to be a part of the Engineering program, but it was hard for her, it was hard to be one of the handful of women in the program. No matter how many women there were or will be in the program, she knew she would always be questioned and doubted by her peers. It made her livid and also sad, knowing that no matter how hard she worked, it may not ever pay off. She tried to not think so negatively like that, but it was so hard to not think like that. Frankie looked up at the sky, taking a deep breath and let herself feel the snow fall on her face. 'Positivity is key and patience is a virtue…' She swore she could almost hear her mom say it, her mom said it so often it was ingrained in her mind. While it was true, people were allowed to be impatient and negative, that's just how people were. Her mind drifted from her trinkets in her bag to her work she needed to complete to her family and to the guy from the coffee shop. Kennedy, she thought. It was an interesting name for a guy, but she adored it and thought it was cute. While she went by Frankie, it wasn't her real name, no matter how many times she insisted her teachers and relatives called her that, they never did. Frankie wondered if Kennedy went by another name or a nickname, she wanted to ask him. Then again, they only knew eachothers names and that was it. Oh well. She looked back ahead of her and began her journey back to her apartment. While she walked, she kicked at the snow and let her thoughts wander. It was bouncing between school, family, food and Kennedy, but it kept on just going back to the barista with the southern accent. It wasn't like any other accent she's heard, but she loved it, it was so smooth and deep. She could listen to him read a dictionary and she would applaud him as if he had just read Shakespeare. Upon her arrival to her cozy and college appropriate apartment aka it was small and dingy, she stomped off the packed snow from her boots outside before stepping outside and letting the front door swing shut behind her. Frankie slowly shrugged off her coat, dropping it to the floor and toeing off her boots after unlacing them. Her apartment was a studio, so everything was one room, including the kitchen/dining room. She had a two person table with two crappy folding chairs on either side and the table was covered with school work as well as an empty mug from earlier that day. Her 'living room'/bedroom was only slighly more complex than the dining room, if you could even call it that, her 'room' had a futon that doubled as a bed, a book shelf that was full of her texbooks and pictures of friends and family, a small rectangle coffee table that she had put wheels on, and even more random art that hung on the walls not to mention a tall lamp that stood in the corner behind the futon. Her apartment was mostly plain, but she tried to not spend a lot of time in there, because it was honestly sad to sit in a dark studio apartment by herself. Frankie knew that if she just had gotten a roommate before moving, she could have afforded a nicer apartment with more space, but she couldn't subject anyone to her messy, disorganized lifestyle and personality as well as her forgetfullness with her mugs.


	4. Just The Two of US

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I see the crystal raindrops fall  
> and the beauty of it all  
> is when the sun comes shining through  
> to make those rainbows in my mind  
> when I think of you sometime  
> and I want to spend some time with you.  
> (Grover Washington Jr. - Just The Two of Us)

Frankie was a party person. She loved the crowds, the flashing lights, the loud music, the amped up bass, the entire shabang. She loved clubs, dances, parties, anything that had a crowd and music, you can bet your ass Frankie was there, or complaining about not being there. It was like she got to pretend to be someone else, someone confident and beautiful, to be someone people desired to dance with. So when she got an invite to a frat party, she accepted the invitation before she even got to hear the name of the frat house. If she was being honest, she didn't even remember the name of the place, but it won't be hard to find the party. All you have to do is follow the smell of cheap alcohol and even cheaper cigarettes. Frankie didn't really drink or smoke, but she treated herself to a drink and a cigarette once and a while. The party was on a Friday night at the frat at the end of greek row. She had met up with her currently closest friend and neighbor, Dionne. Dionne, was a natural brunette who kept her hair in a short bob with an undercut and it was often seen in a high bun with the front pieces of her hair bleached blonde. Dionne was a music major, primarily music composition and production. Dionne was much like Frankie, loud and obnoxious, but more confronting than Frankie. Either way, they enjoyed each other's company and friendship. Frankie and Dionne made their merry way to the party, arms linked and already laughing up a storm. They suck at each other's side, but unlinked their arms, letting the other talk to whoever they could talk to. In this case, Dionne was chatting up a storm with a beautiful woman who had the most perfectly done havana twists and it seemed like they were getting along well. Frankie grinned and turned back to the guy she was talking to, he was nice enough, but a little too much mansplaining on his end for her. He never even mentioned his major to her and when he asked for hers and she responded, he went on to explain to her how cars, plumbing, electricity, etc, etc worked. As if she wouldn't know any of that after telling him her major and what other majors she thought of pursuing instead. Honestly, it peeved her off, so she excused herself to use the restroom and walked off to go get a drink instead. Frankie's brows were knitted together and a frown was etched on her face, clearly she was angry about something. She shuffled her way into the kitchen and grabbed a closed can of beer from the cooler, she looked at the label reading Bud Light. She hated Bud Light, but she figured she wouldn't find anything better than that in this frat house. She glared at the cold, frosted can until she heard a voice speak up right in front of her. "What did that beer ever do to you?" Frankie's head snapped up to look at the person who was clearly speaking to her, her brows rose and she pulled the can to her chest. The guy looked familiar, ish.  
Frankie let out a soft laugh and shook her head. "Nothing except be a gross beer."  
The guy gave a nod and looked at the can he had in his own hand, the same brand. "Agreed, but cheap beer will taste cheap."  
Frankie bit the inside of her cheek lightly before narrowing her eyes slightly. "I'm sorry, have we met before?"  
The guy copied her. "I don't think so? Not unless you stop by that shitty coffee shop on campus."  
Frankie nodded quickly. "I do! I've been there a few times. I only remember one of the guys' names though-"  
"Well- would that name be Jackson?"  
"No, actually, that name would be Kennedy."  
"Oh shit really? What's your name?"  
"Frankie, I don't even really know him, I just remember his name-"  
Jackson cut her off quickly. "No yeah, you came in one day when him and I were working and he was totally staring at you!"  
Frankie's cheeks went red. "I've talked to him once and he seems…..nice."  
Jackson seemed to get even more excited. "He's actually here, can I formally introduce you two?"  
Frankie's dark eyes widened. "Are you sure? I don't want to impose or anything, you two obviously came to the party together."  
Jackson waved his hand as if to swat away that statement. "It's no big deal, but if you don't want to talk to him, you don't have to."  
Frankie bit her lip, giving it a quick thought. "Oh fuck it, where is he?"  
Jackson pumped his fist in the air "Yesss, follow me."  
He turned around and walked away, weaving through the mass of sweaty college students. Frankie tapped the top of the can before opening it, taking a quick sip and putting her hand palm down on the top. (Always cover your drinks even if you are holding it and don't trust anyone with your drink, either chug it, take it to the bathroom with you or just throw it away. PSA about being drugged, is now over.) It wasn't long until Jackson and Frankie were waltzing up to a guy who stood in the corner of the living room, next to the couch, practically hiding. Jackson had a wide smile and an evil glint in his eye as he greeted his friend "Kennedy, the man of the hour is back at your service and I brought a guest to accompany you so when I ditch you again you won't be lonely."   
Kennedy grunted and rolled his eyes simultaneously, tapping the side of his red solo cup impatiently. "Who the hell did you bring-"   
He didn't even get to finish his sentence, because when Jackson stepped to the side, he had revealed the mystery guest aka Frankie. The girl from the coffee shop that he thought was smart and pretty and nice. Frankie gave a small wave, her hand still covering the top of the can. Kennedy's gaze snapped to Jackson, silently saying What the fuck you asshole. In return Jackson just gave a dopey, innocent smile as if to say You're welcome. Jackson spoke with obvious joy in his voice.  
"Alrighty, state your name and your major."  
It was Frankie who spoke up next.  
"I'm Frankie, majoring in Mechanical Engineering."  
Kennedy took a quick, not so small sip of his unfortunately strong drink before responding. "I'm Kennedy, majoring in Literature."   
Frankie couldn't help but smile, Kennedy's accent just made her melt. Jackson crossed his arms, drink still in hand.   
"Well, I will leave you two lovebirds alone before my partner gets in trouble for dominating beer pong." Jackson gave a quick pat to Kennedy's shoulder as he 'peaced out'. Kennedy watched Frankie as she watched Jackson walk off. He tilted his head slightly to the left, just taking in her appearance for the night. Today, she had dark wash, high waisted jeans that had rips up the front of the legs and a red bandeau shirt paired with black sneakers. The thing that caught him off guard a little bit, was the black waist bag(fanny pack if you're in the US). Frankie turned back to Kennedy and shifted her weight from foot to foot.  
"So… Literature, huh?"  
Kennedy looked away for a moment as he gave a soft nod, his hands felt sweaty. "So… Mechanical Engineering, what made you pick that?"  
Frankie perked up. "My parents both worked in the Engineering field, I loved hearing about it growing up, so I decided to follow in their footsteps. Nothing too exciting, but yeah. What made you pick Literature?"  
Kennedy tried to dry his palms on the thighs of his jeans as subtly as possible. "Well, I loved reading and writing growing up, honestly I still do. Literature is more specific to a time period or country, or at least that's how this college program is set up."  
Frankie had a calm, but happy expression on her face. Little did Kennedy know, she was freaking out on the inside. "So which time period do you like the best?" That question opened up many doors of Kennedy's thoughts and preferences on different literary eras. He rambled on about The Romantic Period, The Renaissance, Neoclassical, so on and so forth. The entire time, Frankie kept her focus on the man in front of her, occasionally asking a question and he would be more than happy to give an answer or an explanation. It was nice to see someone just as passionate about their major as she was, so she listened, not knowing that her just paying attention would make his night so much better.


	5. Not a new chapter

It looks like this isn't very well liked. That's okay because I know I need to improve as a writer and probably update more, which if you do enjoy reading this flaming garbage can of a story then I apologise. I do enjoy writing, but as a young writer(I wouldn't even call myself an author) I do really need suggestions/constructive critisism/encouragement more than what I can give myself. I would share my works with friends, but they have no interest in this type of thing. So if you read my stuff, I appreciate you with my whole being! :)


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